As Morocco celebrated their historic FIFA U-20 World Cup triumph in Santiago, La Pulga took to Instagram with a message that summed up both pain and pride.

After rivals Barcelona briefly displaced Los Blancos with a narrow win over Girona on Saturday, Xabi Alonso's side restored their two-point advantage before next weekend's Clasico.

The final whistle sparked wild celebrations from the Moroccan players.

The final kicks off at 5:00 am on Monday (Bangladesh Time).

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was in a playful mood after Erling Haaland’s brace fired his team to a 2-0 victory over Everton on Saturday -- joking that he was “disappointed” his star striker didn’t score more goals.

Messi, 38, finished the regular season with 29 goals and 19 assists, securing the Golden Boot as the league’s top scorer.

Messi finishes the regular season with 29 goals while all but clinching the Golden Boot.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot said Florian Wirtz has been "unlucky" not to register a Premier League goal or assist since his big-money transfer and has called for patience as the 22-year-old midfielder adapts to his new surroundings.

Cole Palmer has been ruled out of action for six more weeks, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said on Friday.

We are offering the following story chosen by AFP's chief editors for our Africa Selection re-publication as among the best reporting from the sub-Saharan continent over the last fortnight

“Didn’t work out as we’d hoped and worked so hard for! But as always so proud to represent Bangladesh and the team!,” Hamza wrote in a social media post after returning to England from Hong Kong.

Fans from 212 countries and territories purchased tickets during the pre-sales period, which opened in mid-September, FIFA said in a statement.

The final will pit tournament heavyweights Argentina against history-making Morocco — a clash between pedigree and passion, with world youth football’s biggest prize on the line.

Africa produced the biggest drama, as Cape Verde stunned Cameroon to qualify for the first time, joining continental heavyweights Egypt, Ghana, and Senegal.

“Yesterday I asked him if he was ready to play, and he said yes. It’s always a joy for us,” said coach Lionel Scaloni, praising his captain’s readiness and leadership.

Ronaldo netted his 40th and 41st qualifying goals, overtaking retired Guatemala international Carlos Ruiz, who scored 39 between 1998 and 2016.

Over 1,000 police officers and army personnel were deployed while helicopters and drones flew overhead to keep a watch on a demonstration which was kept several kilometres away from the Bluenergy Stadium hosting the Group I fixture, won 3-0 by Italy.

Elsewhere, pro-Palestinian demonstrations prefaced Italy's vital win over Israel and Spain took another step towards qualification with a big victory against Bulgaria.

France, World Cup winners in 2018 and runners-up in 2022, were without a host of players in Reykjavik including captain Kylian Mbappe and Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele, both out injured.

Iceland, with a population of around 340,000, became the smallest country to qualify for the global showpiece when they reached the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.